Berhalter unclear of his future as US head coach

United States men’s national team head coach Greg Berhalter has revealed that his future with the team is unclear.

The Americans were knockout out of the 2022 World Cup by the Netherlands on Saturday. Although the final scoreline does not necessarily tell the entire story, the USMNT fell 3-1 on the night.

After the game, Berhalter made some interesting comments regarding his status as head coach. ESPN correspondent Sam Borden Tweeted that the American coach will need time to think about his future. “In the next couple of weeks, I’ll sit down and clear my head and think about what’s next,” stated Berhalter.

However, the decision is not entirely up to the head coach. USMNT insider Tom Bogert has also revealed that Berhalter’s current contract is up at the conclusion of the World Cup.

Along with the boss, the rest of the team’s coaching staff is also vying for a new deal as well.

Whether or not Berhalter deserves a fresh contract will certainly have to be carefully considered.

The American currently has a respectable 62% win rate during his time with the team. This includes winning 37 of his 60 total matches at the helm.

Positives taken from World Cup performances

The USMNT also performed fairly well at the 2022 World Cup. Put in a highly competitive group against England, Iran, and Wales, the Americans were able to qualify for the knockout round.

Despite the loss against the tough Dutch team, fans should be proud of young USMNT team.

Nevertheless, Berhalter made some very interesting decisions in recent weeks surrounding the tournament. Despite playing his part in the World Cup qualifiers, Ricardo Pepi was completely left off of the tournament roster. He also made a similar decision with Zack Steffen as well.

Berhalter’s starting XI for the Netherlands game was also not received well. The coach ended up picking Jesus Ferreira to lead the front line, instead of Tim Weah or Haji Wright.

USSF should target big name for role

Ultimately, the USMNT was one of the youngest squads at the Qatar World Cup. They clearly have the talent to progress through the group stage, but just lacked in certain areas.

Bringing in a marquee manager to lead the squad in the 2026 World Cup could be exactly what the Americans need.

Photo credit: IMAGO / Agencia MexSport